"The doctor said you have a bit of low blood sugar," Qi Huan said, smiling at Sima Chu. Sima Chu looked at Qi Huan's smile and had never felt such warmth. In Sima Chu's life, every smile she had ever received had carried a hint of mockery. From a young age, Sima Chu was like an ugly duckling; she couldn't fit into even a duck's nest, let alone a swan's nest. But Sima Chu had always loved the story of the ugly duckling, because it was her dream. She firmly believed that one day she too could become the protagonist of a fairy tale, breaking free from the shackles of fate.

Now, Qi Huan, this swan-like beauty, sat before him, casting such a warm and sincere smile upon him. This was the greatest comfort to Sima Chu.

However, at this moment, Qi Huan's smile faded, and her expression became hesitant. After thinking for a while, Qi Huan finally spoke: "Xiao Chu, have you not eaten much these past few days?"

Upon hearing Qi Huan's question, Sima Chu's face flushed slightly for a moment before returning to its original sallow color. Looking at the needle embedded in the back of his hand, Sima Chu gently fiddled with his fingernails, unsure of what to say.

Qi Huan immediately noticed Sima Chu's embarrassment, then smiled and said, "I was just asking casually, don't mind it." With that, Qi Huan got up and set up a table for Sima Chu on the hospital bed. Then, Qi Huan took a large paper bag from the bedside table.

"I'm a little hungry, so I ordered some food. Why don't you eat with me?" Qi Huan explained to Sima Chu with a smile as she placed the food containers from the bag on the table.

Sima Chu's eyes lit up when he saw the table full of food. But quickly, his gaze dimmed again. It was clear this food was prepared for him. Sima Chu wasn't stupid; he had already figured it out. Faced with Qi Huan's kindness, Sima Chu felt a little timid, unsure how to respond.

Qi Huan noticed Sima Chu's embarrassment. Then, Qi Huan opened the lunchbox first, picked up her chopsticks, and put a piece of braised pork into her mouth.

Qi Huan swallowed the braised pork in her mouth, smiled at Sima Chu, and said, "Hmm, it tastes very good. Eat up, otherwise I can't eat so much. It would be such a waste."

Sima Chu hesitated, looking at Qi Huan. At that moment, Qi Huan handed Sima Chu chopsticks, pointed to the lunchbox in front of her, and smiled again, urging her on. Sima Chu took the chopsticks and slowly shoveled a mouthful of rice into her mouth. Qi Huan smiled, then placed a piece of braised pork into Sima Chu's lunchbox.

"Don't be so reserved. I don't want to keep serving you food, it's too tiring," Qi Huan said, feigning anger but still wearing a smile.

Sima Chu nodded, stuffed the braised pork from the lunchbox into his mouth, and began to chew.

"With a needle in your hand, can you eat by yourself?" Qi Huan asked, looking at the needle in Sima Chu's hand.

Sima Chu simply shook his head, then his eating pace noticeably quickened. The needle was stuck in the back of his right hand, but this didn't affect his eating at all. Sima Chu completely abandoned his restraint and began to eat heartily. He stuffed food and rice into his mouth with all his might. Qi Huan had never seen anyone eat so heartily and so quickly. At one point, Qi Huan handed Sima Chu a bowl of soup. Then, Qi Huan watched as Sima Chu drank the not-so-large bowl of soup in one gulp, and then continued eating. Qi Huan put down his chopsticks, looked at Sima Chu, and a strange sadness welled up in his heart.

At this moment, Qi Huan caught a glimpse of the IV needle on the back of Sima Chu's right hand. It was likely that Sima Chu's vigorous eating movements had caused blood to flow back into the needle. Now, the fluid in the section of the IV tubing near the back of Sima Chu's hand had turned completely blood red. However, some areas were darker than others.

Qi Huan wanted to say something to Sima Chu, but the words stuck in her throat. Qi Huan felt that Sima Chu probably hadn't enjoyed his meal this much in a long time. Since that was the case, Qi Huan didn't want to spoil one of Sima Chu's rare moments of happiness.

Several food containers were gradually emptied, and Sima Chu's lunchbox was completely devoured. Just then, Sima Chu suddenly stopped what he was doing. Qi Huan glanced over and saw tears in Sima Chu's eyes. Qi Huan took a pack of tissues from her bag and handed it to Sima Chu.

"I'm sorry." Sima Chu took the tissue from Qi Huan and apologized. He wiped away his tears, looked up at Qi Huan, smiled, and said thank you.

Qi Huan simply waved his hand and smiled back at Sima Chu. Afterwards, the two fell into a brief silence. Qi Huan struggled to find a topic to continue the conversation with Sima Chu. However, after a while, it was Sima Chu who broke the silence.

"Sister Huan, how much is this meal? I'll pay you." Sima Chu glanced at the empty bowl in front of him and asked Qi Huan.

"No need, I'm hungry too. Just keep me company for a meal. I rarely have the chance to eat so comfortably with someone. I should be thanking you." Qi Huan maintained a smile throughout her speech.

"Huh?" Sima Chu looked at Qi Huan with a puzzled expression after hearing her words. In Sima Chu's eyes, Qi Huan was absolutely radiant. Yet Qi Huan said she rarely had the opportunity to eat so comfortably with others. This puzzled Sima Chu. However, Sima Chu did not press the matter further.

Suddenly, Sima Chu looked up at the IV drip above his head, then carefully surveyed his surroundings, his expression turning anxious. "Sister Huan, am I in a hospital?"

Seeing Sima Chu's nervous expression, Qi Huan was a little at a loss and simply nodded slightly. "Yes, this is a hospital."

Hearing Qi Huan's affirmative answer, Sima Chu's expression became even more anxious and uneasy. Sima Chu looked up at the IV drip again, then pinched his fingers before looking at Qi Huan and asking, "Sister Huan, what did the doctor say was wrong with me?"

Qi Huan smiled and comforted him, "It's nothing, just a little low blood sugar. You'll be fine after a rest. Xiao Chu, have you been eating properly lately?"

Upon hearing Qi Huan's first words, Sima Chu's expression relaxed slightly. "Since it's not a serious illness, we can be discharged." With that, Sima Chu prepared to lift the covers and get out of bed.

"Wait, wait." Qi Huan immediately stood up from the bedside, stopping Sima Chu's rash behavior. "Don't rush, the doctor said you need to rest. You have to finish this bottle of glucose first."

"Glucose?" Sima Chu looked up at the IV drip above his head for the third time after hearing this. "By the way, Sister Huan, how did I get to the hospital? Did you bring me here?"